


Easy Bindings - Hard Releases

by Svengali_Khan



Series: Easy Bindings, Hard Releases [1]
Category: Sterek - Fandom, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Peter Hale, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Blood Magic, Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Creeper Peter, Derek Hale Feels, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M, Male Friendship, Male Homosexuality, Male Slash, Male-Female Friendship, Mysticism, Sex Magic, Temporary Pairing, Threesome, Threesome - M/M/M, Top Stiles Stilinski, Werewolf Stiles Stilinski, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-14 16:03:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7178825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Svengali_Khan/pseuds/Svengali_Khan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Trinity of Darkness descends on Beacon Hills in order to become a conduit for a much darker force to come. The Pack asks the question, what happens when the Chaos Knot is untied?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Easy Bindings

**Author's Note:**

> There are potential * SPOILERS * in the Additional Tags!! If you want to read this and be surprised, then DON'T read them!! Be warned, this one has a bit more sex than my last story but it's within the context of the story, this is NOT a "sex story"! 
> 
> Any and all Kudos, Comments and general well-wishes accepted and appreciated!

Soft gold light scattered throughout the room, touching every part, aside from the dark corners between the tall bookshelves. Over four dozen candles filled the room with this light and the scent of vanilla. Outside the large bank of windows, a soft rain pelted the glass.

"You okay?"

Stiles said nothing but nodded. Above his head, his wrists were bound in silk cord, wound into solid restraints meant to hold him up, not keep him in place. His bare torso flexed and his stomach tightened, then relaxed. Breathing in through his nose, he smelled vanilla, sweat and a warmer, stronger scent associated only with Derek Hale, who stood in front of him, stroking his cheek.

"You sure?"

He nodded again, a small smile on his lips.

"I can take you down. We can do this somewhere else."

"I'm good..." Stiles said. "I'll be better when we get started."

Derek smiled, the hand on Stiles' cheek sliding down to his throat, his thumb rubbing the damp flesh. He leaned in and nuzzled the boy's face and neck, rubbing his scruffy face against his smooth one. His own bare torso touched Stiles, the hair on his body causing the boy to jerk. He kissed the slender hollow of Stiles' neck, up to his cheek.

"You're strong. I like strength."

"Can we start now...before I'm not so strong?"

From the sofa, a second man stood and crossed over to where Stiles and Derek stood. Flames from the candles flickered as he breezed by them. Coming to stand behind Stiles, he put one hand on the boy's bare hip, the other on the soft curve of his outer body, just near where his armpit was.

"Derek was right, we can do this somewhere else, if you'd like."

"I'm good here."

"Open your mouth," Derek said, holding up his hand.

Stiles opened his mouth and Derek put a small tablet on his tongue. It was sweet, at first, like candy. Drawing his tongue back into his mouth, it became a strange, bitter taste. Swallowing it, he felt the effects right away. Tender pain in his joints began to ease and he felt light.

From behind him, the second man brushed his neck with his chin. His voice was low in Stiles' ear. "It's a special herbal remedy to keep your body from going into shock. What we're about to do is going to hurt. In fact, it will be the most exquisite pain you've ever felt. You'll want to use that to your advantage, channel it into the source of the pain and it will help you heal."

"It's how we heal as fast as we do," Derek told him. "You've seen me do it. The night at the clinic, remember? It's how I was able to heal after the shot."

"After you almost cut your arm off? Still gross, by the way."

"Focus. When we do this, you'll feel a rush. It'll be easy to give in to it but it's best if you don't. We bound you because of this feeling, it will be intense. Fight against the urge to fall into the feeling, because it is deep."

"One last chance to change your mind," the man behind him said. "You did that once, last chance to do it again. This time, it's permanent."

"I'm not going to change my mind. Do it. This is what I want."

Derek leaned forward and brought his mouth to Stiles' neck. Behind the boy, the second man did the same. Both men found a place on Stiles' body to hold him. From three, Stiles began a countdown. When he reached one, both men opened their mouths, baring fierce fangs. They sank them into Stiles' neck. The resulting scream tore through the loft, out into the hallway and into the night. Some of the candles flickered, some went out. Pain washed over Stiles, unlike anything he had ever felt, like a current of live electricity. Were he not being held, he would have flailed like a fish on a hook. Iron mixed with the scent of vanilla and he swooned. Hot blood ran down his bare body, warm and sticky. Pain drew him to the edge of consciousness.

"Derek...don't let me die..."

"No one's dying," Derek told him.

"Peter...Don't let him...let me die."

***

Jordan Parrish sat at his desk, finishing the last of the night's paperwork. Everyone but the desk officer, the sheriff and two officers went home hours ago. He wasn't working the next day and didn't want to come back to more work than he'd left after a day off. Pausing, he looked up and into the sheriff's office. The man was on the phone, again. All of their efforts to put a name with the thing out in the northern part of town were futile. They were no closer to finding out what killed those four kids than they were two hours ago and they were getting no help from the state police. As he watched, he could see the aggravation growing on the man's face and he felt for his boss. He knew how frustrating bureaucrats could be. With this thought in mind, he put down his pen, stood up and went to the door of the man's office. Knocking on the frame of the door, he came inside. The last of the conversation was not positive, nor was the sheriff's demeanor.

"No luck?"

"Nothing," the man shook his head. "They can't spare the manpower with the fires and such in Los Angeles. It's a shitty time to need state help."

"I was thinking of a way to get some help. Not just some nutjob, either, but some legitimate, thoughtful help. Remember those guys we talked to a few months back, the ones looking for references to get into the Plano Security Firm?"

"The ex-Special Forces guys? I hadn't thought about them but you might be onto something."

"Their credentials checked out. They left for the reasons they said they did and we could deputize them on a temporary basis."

"Could you get on that, if you've got a few minutes? I'm going to call Stiles again."

"Is he still not talking to you?"

Pausing, one hand on the phone, the sheriff gave a nod toward the door. Parrish closed it and turned back, his hands on his utility belt.

"No, he's being a typical teenager and between us, it's pissing me off."

"You could just go and arrest both of them."

"On what charge?"

"Isn't sodomy still illegal in California?"

Leaning back in his chair, the sheriff shook his head. "That's not how to get Stiles to do anything. Threats never worked, forcing his hand on something never worked. Telling him not to do something was like giving him the green light to do it anyway. If I arrested Derek and Peter Hale, he'd find a way to break them out and they'd be in Switzerland before the sun went down."

"At least you'd have grounds for kidnapping, then."

The sheriff gave a wan smile at the man's attempt at humor. "I don't like it. I don't like it one goddamned bit that those two men are--"

"Boning your son?"

"Yes, Parrish, that's just the phrase I was looking for. Thank you for that incredible insight."

"It could be worse."

Leaning forward in his chair, the man cocked his head. "How could it be worse?"

"The coach from the school could be making it a weekend threesome."

Standing, Sheriff Stilinski came around the desk and filled a coffee cup without comment. Adding substantial amounts of cream and sugar, he stirred it up and drank half of it in one gulp. Leaning against the long table, he looked out the window at the rising moon and wondered where his son might be and what he might be doing.

"Matt," Jordan said, coming over to the table, himself. "Miles is a good kid. He's smart as hell and takes after his old man. He's not jumping into something stupid just to spite you. Maybe he sees something in those guys that we don't."

"He'd go ape-shit if he heard you call him Miles. He hates his first name."

"He might do it but I hate amalgamations of names just as much. I know it's the popular thing to do but Stiles just sounds...strange."

"Scott started calling him that when they were in Kindergarten. It was so they'd have the same first letter of their names."

"Kids," Parrish smiled.

"The greatest joy and the biggest headaches."

"I could drive by on my way home."

"No, it's not going to make any difference whether Stiles is sulking in his room at my house or in Derek Hale's loft. At least, with these murders, I know he's safe. That's more than Melissa knows, right now."

"Why would Scott run off with that Argent kid?"

Sipping his coffee, Matthew Stilinski shook his head. "I don't have a clue. Maybe he thinks he can help with this investigation. Maybe he's going a little stir crazy, cooped up in his house with this curfew in effect. Maybe it's just the full moon. It makes sane people do insane things."

"I'm going to knock off and head home," Parrish said, taking a few steps back. "I might take the long way, drive over next to the old packing warehouse, see if a familiar blue jeep might be anywhere around. Just to be on the vigilant side, and all."

"Thanks, Jordan," the sheriff smiled. "I'll see what I can do about dropping you a few extra hours next week, even it if it'll have to be patrol duty."

"Hey, a check is a check and I'm hella good at patrol." The deputy opened the door. "Little advice about Miles? Just be patient with him. He's sprung on this Derek guy because he's looking for someone to protect him. He'll come around."

Without another word, the deputy was out the door and on his way. The sheriff drained his cup and refilled it, adding his usual overabundance of cream and sugar. Stirring it, he watched the liquid cloud up and thought of his son with Derek Hale.

"I'm his father, damn it. I was supposed to protect him."

***

Crouched down in the dark, Scott scanned the area and breathed in the scent of the night. Several smells overlapped, none that shouldn't be here. Deer, squirrels and a few other wild animals were here all through the night. Bending down, closer to the ground, he picked up another scent, a strange one, like oil and burnt matches, an artificial smell. Putting his fingers in the dirt, he brought them to his nose and picked up another smell, cologne? Soap? Something not natural to the forest was here not long ago and they were running. Once he had this scent, it wasn't hard to find a trail.

"Up that small grade," he said, pointing. "Liam, you head around the other way. Alan, you're with me. Be careful and don't shoot until you know what it is we're dealing with. We don't want to kill something we don't have to."

"I hope they feel the same way."

Liam stood up, giving the third boy a strange look before dashing out, into the forest. When they were alone, the second boy turned to Scott.

"He hates me."

"You don't have to have super-senses to know that. He does hate you."

"Why?"

Scott smiled, walking forward. "Because I like you."

Shaking his head, the other boy followed. "What do you think it is we're dealing with, here? I mean, what is it that could do to those kids what Stiles' father said it did?"

"It's not like anything we've seen before. Nothing can drain a body of its blood without a mark. Nothing can liquefy bone from the inside out, nothing we know of, anyway."

"What does it smell like?"

Scott's nose found the soapy scent again and began walking up the incline, using his heightened senses to see ahead of them. Nothing in the skeletal trees was out of the ordinary, even the strange looking bushes native to this area. He tried to put together a few words to answer the question but couldn't find any that matched what he smelled.

"It's like soap but with a burnt match smell mixed with it." He smirked. "Like charcoal, fresh from the shower. I don't know how else to put it."

"Why aren't we moving faster?"

"I want to give Liam a chance to get there first. He needs the confidence boost."

"Aren't you the responsible one," the other boy said, coming up alongside Scott.

"I'm his Alpha. I _am_ responsible for him. Don't joke about it, Alan, I'm serious."

A snapping sound echoed through the small clearing, causing them to jerk their heads to the side. Scott held out a hand, his eyes glowing a brilliant red. Alan drew his bow, notching an arrow. Off to the other side of them, in the direction Liam went, another snap heralded the boy's pounding feet. He wore a short pair of gym shorts, nothing else. Bare-chested, a thin layer of sweat on his lean, muscular body, he stopped a few feet away and pointed.

"Four of them. Five yards, maybe six," Liam snarled, his face wolfish and sharp. "One...has--"

"A weapon," Scott finished. "Something metal...laced with--"

"Wolfsbane!" Alan shouted this, pushing Scott out of the way. An arrow slammed into the tree near them, where Scott's head would have been. "Liam, find some cover until we can see them!"

Notching the arrow again, Alan turned himself back in the direction of where the attack came from. Glad he'd pulled his hair back, he got a clear bead on the moving figure before letting the arrow go. Scott got to his feet just as the shaft found its mark. In the dark, a figure hit a tree and dropped to the ground. Before anyone could stop him, Liam bounded into the woods, intent on getting in his own licks, if they were going to fight. Leaping over the next few bushes, not hearing Scott shout for him.

"Go around, Alan. Don't use the scope, as it will draw them to you!"

"I know, Scott," the other boy said, notching another arrow. "I'm an Argent, I've been hunting since I was six, remember?"

"Yeah, well, we've not been dating half that long so I'd like to keep you around for a while."

Back the way he'd been facing, Scott raced forward, his eyes finding two dark shapes stepping in and around the trees. Their bodies were wispy, strange and like ink given form. Dropping to all fours, he picked up the same scent and connected it to the figures. As he was about to give chase, he heard the tell-tale whimper of a wounded dog - or wolf. Knowing what this was, he turned in the direction of the sound and poured on the speed. Bursting through any obstacles, he came out into a clearing.

"Liam!"

Down on one knee, the boy was still in mid-shift between his human form and wolf form. His face was sharp and pained, a dark mark running along his cheek. Another similar mark was slashed across his chest and down along his stomach. It was smoking. With a shaking finger, he pointed to the clearing. Scott turned his eyes in that direction to see four advancing shadow forms.

"Scott? Liam?" Alan asked, coming into the clearing behind them. "What...the hell are those?"

"I don't know," Scott shook his head. "I do know, we need to go."

Leaping to his feet, Liam's transformation was almost instantaneous. His lean body was corded with muscle, a dark growth of coarse fur down his back, disappearing into the intact waistband of shredded shorts. Claws and fangs were bared and he would have attacked if Scott's hand weren't on his shoulder, holding him back. Growling, he let himself be pulled back out of the clearing. The first of the shadow figures glided toward him and swiped at Liam, who was closest to it. Scott held up his arm and the shadow passed through him as if made of smoke. Alan held onto Scott, who held tighter to Liam and the three of them came out of the clearing.

"They're following," Liam growled.

Two of the taller shadows were, indeed, following them back into the woods. One of them solidified and pointed its hand at Alan. A crossbow and arrow appeared in its hand, like shadow made solid. A loud twang preceded the whooshing sound of the arrow. Dropping to the ground, the first arrow missed him but the second grazed his shoulder, tearing his shirt. The third would have pinned his hand to the ground if he hadn't moved. The fourth whizzed by his face, bringing blood. Liam pulled him out of the way of the fifth. There were other arrows, finding their way into the ground and the trees around them. Alan scrambled to his feet, trying to get his bow ready to use.

"I should have brought a gun," he grumbled, allowing Liam to push him forward. "Next time, I bring a gun - or two. No arguments, Scott."

Liam was the first to turn back to where Scott should have been following them. A hard, low growl started in his chest and erupted into a howl as he sprang out, covering Scott's fallen body with his torso. Growling at the advancing shadow, he used his free hand to pull the dark-haired boy into his arm while swiping at the dark mass with the other. It connected and the shadow hissed - backing away. Cradling Scott to his chest, he swiped at the shadow again but did not connect.

"Let's go, Liam! Now!"

Getting to his feet, using his enhanced strength to lift Scott, the boy backed away, still growling. Both shadow things retreated, both of them disappearing into the clearing. In an unexpected shower of sparks, all four of them were gone in seconds.

"We have to get him to the car," Alan said, holding up his bow. "Fuck...one of those arrows snapped the bowstring! Damn it."

"Useless," Liam snarled. "Who brings a bow to a fight, anyway?"

Bending the center of the bow, Alan broke it apart, revealing two blades on the end of each piece, just below the now-divided handgrip. This turned the single bow into two bladed weapons with a longer, curved piece to be used as a blunt weapon. He took the lead and started running, knowing Liam could keep up, even with the added weight of Scott. He didn't want to think of what might have happened to him. All he could think of was getting him to the clinic. The first attack was wolfsbane. If the second was, as well, Scott could be in distinct danger of losing his life. He wasn't going to give in to those thoughts. They weren't going to lose Scott, tonight.

***

"Do you ever get the feeling we're the ones who get the slave work in this little supernatural sleuthing group we've got going on here?"

Aiden kept reading, smiling at Lydia's comment. They'd found a few things they could use, information useful to what they were trying to piece together. On two screens, side by side, were the autopsy reports and the online guide to the chronicled supernatural. It wasn't the hokey sort your Average Joe might find, it was a legitimate text, one Danny hacked from the Smithsonian's archives. Across from him, Ethan was looking over chapters of the same text.

"I think I've found something."

Looking up, Lydia turned her book toward him. "The Chaos Knot?"

"How did you know?"

Smiling, Aiden turned the screen toward her. "Great minds think alike. Seems like we're on the right track if both of us found it in different sources."

"Third time's the charm," Ethan said, tapping his screen. "Looks like everything leads to the same place. Now, if we could figure out what the hell this has to do with murders in the woods and a string of harassment reports throughout Beacon Hills, we'd be set."

"Hey, everyone," came a voice from the back of the room. "We brought food!"

Ethan turned in his seat as Danny, Jackson and Isaac filed into the room, each carrying bags of takeout food. Standing, he met his boyfriend with a smile, sharing a quick kiss before helping him with the two large bags of food.

"Ever get the feeling we're the only heterosexual people in Beacon Hills?" Aiden asked Lydia, giving her a wink and a smile. "Not cool being in the minority."

"Suck it up, buttercup," Jackson said, putting a cup in front of him. "Don't like the status-homo, you're always free to move somewhere else."

"Easy, Jackson," Lydia said, leaning back in her chair. "Dial the rage down a few notches? I know you've had some problems while you've been here but you have friends now. We're all on _your_ side."

"Sorry. Coming out wasn't easy for me. My dad said some really mean shit and my mom's put herself on mood stabilizers. Not the best response to an out and proud kid."

"It's not a thing, man," Aiden said, holding out a hand. Jackson took it. "It's all good."

"So, have you guys found anything out?" Isaac asked this as he was passing out food. "Sounds like you might have when we came in, or am I wrong?"

"We might have," Ethan told him, coming around the table. "We found something in all three sources about something called the Chaos Knot. It's not anything I remember seeing before but it has something to do with--"

"Parallel universes," Jackson finished.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I ran across it a while back, when I was turning green and scaly and going out stalking people. I thought it might have been an alternate me doing what this me...I...was doing. Anyway, it's supposed to be the crucial link between timelines tying them all together, to keep them from slipping into chaos."

"So, what is it? This knot, I mean?" Danny asked, unwrapping his salad. "Is it a literal knot?"

Jackson shook his head. "From what I understand, it's an event each universe has in common."

"You mean like a birthday or a wedding, something like that?"

Again, Jackson shook his head. "It's something bigger, more substantial. Like, in one universe, someone builds a big ship that sinks on its maiden voyage, even if it's not supposed to. In another universe, that same ship makes it and in another, it explodes from a gas leak...or something. The knot tying those universes together becomes the building of the ship."

Danny nodded, understanding. "The event creates alternate timelines, like throwing a rock into a pond and making ripples. Each ring in the ripple is another universe."

"Okay, now my head hurts," Lydia stood up. "What if there are other universes out there with more Jacksons, more Dannys, more Aidens..."

"More Lydias," Ethan added. "I'd be willing to bet, more of you out there means more things happening."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because of what you are," Aiden answered for his brother. "You're a banshee, Lydia. There aren't many of those in the world and the few, rather, the one, we know has already made some amazing things happen. It's not a stretch to think you could be pretty damned powerful in other universes too."

She held up her hands, shaking her head. "Guys, I don't know about all this or what I have to do with this Chaos Knot - if anything, at all. Let's just slow down, keep reading and see what we can--"

"Peter."

Everyone turned to look at Jackson. He returned their gaze. "Peter would know about this. He knows all about this weird shit and it doesn't get weirder than what we've just found out. Peter would know what we're dealing with and how it all ties in."

"We should ask Scott, first," Ethan said.

"We don't know where Scott is," Aiden reminded him. "He didn't tell us."

"You guys don't need his permission. You're both Alphas, too."

Ethan smiled at Danny. The others in the group were silent for a long few moments, each of them thinking over what was suggested. Jackson started to pace. Aiden and Ethan unwrapped their food and started seasoning it with various condiments. Danny slid the straw into his cup and ate a few fries. Lydia eased back into her seat, wondering what they should do but voicing none of her thoughts. Instead, she used the plastic knife to cut her burger in two, a stalling tactic. She didn't want to be the first to speak, as she wasn't sure she had anything of importance to say.

"I'm going to find Peter," Jackson said. "I know it's a long shot but it's all we have. We've been going over these things forever now and we're no closer to finding out anything than we were before. Sure, we all found this Chaos Knot together but we don't know what it does or why it's important - not for sure. We need someone to help us and Scott's not here."

"Do you want us to go with you?"

"No, Danny, I need to go by myself. No offense, but all this coupling and being a single guy is starting to wear on me. I could do with some time alone."

Without saying anything else, Jackson left the small group, his food forgotten. Out in the parking area, he hit the key fob on his vehicle and the headlights of a large brown, four-door truck flashed. Giving the front door to Lydia's house a last look, he sprinted to his vehicle and got in. Wasting no more time, he slid the key into the ignition, turned it and slammed down the gas. Roaring out of the small space, he slung gravel everywhere, tearing off down the driveway - his eyes glowing a brilliant blue.

***

Waking was difficult. For the first twenty minutes, it felt as like clawing through brambles to get to the surface of a very deep, dark lake...iced over...in December. This would be how he would describe it later, after he managed to open his eyes. In front of him, pressed against his chest, he recognized Peter by his scent, something he didn't know he knew. Behind him, tight against his back, he smelled Derek before he heard the slow, measured breathing indicating he was sleeping. Sandwiched between the two men, he moved but not to get away. Reaching behind him, he closed a hand over Derek's hip and pulled him forward. Peter moved forward, as well, awake now but with his eyes still closed.

"Stiles?"

"Derek?"

"Your hand is digging into my skin."

"Sorry..."

With the small twitch of his hips, he realized he was still naked. Touching his throat, he felt the small wrinkled skin, remembering what happened before. It was dark in the room except for the golden glow coming from the two lamps near the door. Blinking, Stiles felt warmth spreading through his body. In front of him, Peter's mouth drew into a knowing smile.

"It's natural," Peter said, his eyes still closed. "It comes with the change."

From behind him, Derek's warm hand settled on his stomach, fingers splayed. With a gentle tug, he pulled Stiles against him, making sure the boy felt every part of him. Growling, he nuzzled Stiles' neck. His hand was insistent, holding him. Stiles took in a deep breath. Peter's eyes opened, a soft blue glow around the edges. Leaning forward, he rubbed his cheek along Stiles'. His hand slid up along his arm, down under it and into the soft hair of his armpits. Bringing his fingers back to his nose, he took in a deep breath, drawing the scent into his nostrils.

"It's official," the man said, his smile widening. "It took. You're...a werewolf."

 

 


	2. Tightening the Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alliances and reality begin to shift - but why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * BE WARNED * The sexy bits WILL be increasing with this and the next chapter! They're self-contained so you can skip over them, should you want to! Again, the sexual parts are within the context of the story so they're not there for smut purposes!
> 
> Also, for those who aren't into this for some of the pairings - **BEAR WITH ME** \- I'm going somewhere with them! I promise!

Bracing himself against the metal cabinet, Scott fought the urge to tear it out of the wall. Another splash of the clear, silvery liquid caused him to growl from deep in his chest. Pain tore outward as the liquid cleansed the wound. Alan dabbed at the wound with cotton, clearing the forest debris from its edges. The wolfish healing ability was already working to repair the damage and try to knit the skin back together. Scott felt it but it felt wrong, somehow. More of the silver-colored liquid was poured into the wound. While it stung, it was nothing compared to the lingering effects of the wolfsbane he was dosed with. His hand bent the cabinet as this second dose did its work.

Liam stood nearby, his gym shorts in ribbons. More of his body was exposed than was covered but he did not seem to care. Standing in front of the door, he watched the Argent dab more of the silvery stuff onto the wound, watched Scott suck in his breath through clenched teeth. Liam was lucky the weapons just grazed him. There was no puncture wound like there was with Scott. The shock to the system was enough to drop either of them but Scott took the arrow as he was turning so its effects were worse.

Alan's hand was steady as he moved the cotton along the puckered outside of the closing hole in Scott's chest. His other hand was pressed just below the wound, near Scott's heart so he could feel any sort of change in heartbeat. So far, everything was going all right. The arrow was gone, the poisonous substance was cleared away and he was doing what he could to give his healing ability the chance to work. If Liam would stop looming in the distance and staring daggers at him, this might have gone better. He understood the caring aspect of all this, it was just annoying when he needed to do things like help Scott heal – and not die.

"I've got all of the 'bane out," Alan said. "It's going to sting, though, as it heals. I can't get the residual, your body is just going to have to push it out along the way."

Scott nodded, his eyes shifting to the door. "Liam, you good?"

"Yeah...I'm good." The boy touched his chest. The angry red welt was now a paler pink ribbon of injury. "Are we going to the library, do some research with the others?"

"Did you text Lydia?"

"They're all still there," he nodded. "Except Jackson, he's gone to see Peter about a knot."

The context was too much for Scott to ignore. With a wide grin, he gave Alan a nudge. "Didn't you have to Google the knot before we had sex?"

"Gross," Alan said, shaking his head. "I didn't know."

Liam made a derisive sound. "If you're finished with the bestiality jokes, which aren't funny, by the way, can we get you bandaged and out of here? I don't like this place, it smells like wet dog."

"Yeah, well, half the time, so do you," Alan quipped, regretting his words the minute they were out of his mouth. "Sorry. Scott and I joke about the wolf thing. I just thought—"

"No," Liam cut him off. "You didn't think. If you did, you would have just kept your stupid mouth shut. Just get the bandage on him so we can get out of here. Animal clinics aren't my favorite place to hang out. Let's just go, get with the others, and see if we can't figure out what those things in the forest were, all right?"

"Did Lydia say anything else, like why Jackson was going to see Peter?"

"Because Peter knows about weird shit, Jackson said," Liam answered, his eyes narrowed.

Scott winced as the bandage was applied. The wound was attempting to close but it was having a hard time, even with the wolfsbane cleared away. Alan pressed the gauze tighter as he put the first piece of tape over its length. The other's fingers were cool against his skin, telling Scott he might have a slight fever. Whatever those things in the woods were, they knew his weaknesses. They smelled like oil and burnt matches, a scent he never smelled before encountering it in the woods. He brought his fingers to his nose again, inhaling the scent from before. They were capable of draining the blood from a body, of liquefying bone. The people in the woods weren't like them, they were normal humans. Random kills, from what the sheriff said.

Turning back to the medicine cabinet, Alan Argent put back the medicines and bandages. As he closed the door, he caught Liam's reflection in the glass. The boy's head was tilted, his eyebrows knitted together. his nose was flared and his mouth was set. It was a look he came to expect, one of wanting to tear his throat out. Some time back, just after Allison was killed, when he came to pay his respects, Liam was one of the first people he met – and tried to kill. It was understandable, this sort of hatred. Still, it had been over a year and a half.

"Could you not glare at me all the time," Alan said, turning toward Liam. "I don't know what I've done to piss you off and make you stay pissed off, but whatever it is, we can talk it over like adults."

Liam's eyes went yellow. "No...we can't."

"Or not," Alan said, holding his hands up. "What do you say you go out and warm up the car? Scott and I need a minute."

"Sure," Liam said, opening the door. "Talk. I can still hear you from outside."

The wolf backed out, closing the door behind him. Alan turned to Scott, shaking his head. "He knows how to hold a grudge, I'll give him credit. What does he think I'm going to do, wait until you're asleep, then try and kill you?"

"You are an Argent, they aren't known for being too good to were-beings." Scott was reaching for his shirt. "He's just doing what any loyal pup would do, he's watching out for me. All of my pack watches out for me. It's what they're supposed to do."

"I get it," Alan said, a hand on Scott's shoulder. "I don't have to like it. I'm not the bad guy, here."

"You're new to my life and a lot of people loved Allison. It's natural they react to you the way they do. Hell, I didn't even know I liked guys until...well, you were there, you know when. It's a lot for my mom to wrap her head around. She was expecting grandkids from me and I was expecting to give them to her. I guess what I'm saying is, you're a wild card and people aren't used to you, yet. Give it time."

"In the meantime, I think I should get Liam a dog-biscuit or some kibble. Maybe he'll warm up to me if I make a formal apology out of it."

Scott pulled on his shirt. "Maybe you should stop making dog jokes. He doesn't like them and some of them just aren't funny. It's a suggestion."

"Well-taken," the other male nodded.

"We need to get to the library. I'm not too good with all the book-stuff but I need to know what they've found out. It could tell us what these figures in the woods might be. They were almost shadows, at one point. The way they moved was unbelievable."

"I'll bet they didn't feel like a shadow when they knocked your sweet ass down, though."

"You can stop being a smart-ass just any time, now." Scott came around the examination table. "We do need to go. I don't like the idea of breaking everybody up right now. I really don't like the idea of Jackson going to see Peter by himself. Who the hell knows what Peter is up to."

***

"About three...good...inches," Peter smiled, nuzzling Stiles' neck.

"Derek is about all I can handle," came the winded reply. "I can't move as it is."

Derek chuckled, flexing his hips. Stiles' slender body was pinned between both Hale men. From the back, Derek's entire body was pressed hard into Stiles. Peter's whole body pressed harder into his front, coarse, thick hair scraping against smooth skin. Between them, their pent-up erections were sliding against their stomachs, spilling copious amounts of clear fluid onto themselves and the bed. All three of them were moving in a point-counterpoint rhythm which worked well to satisfy them. One of Derek's legs was wedged between Stiles', keeping him open enough to take the thickness sliding into him. Peter's right leg was also wedged into the same space, giving him leverage, as well.

"Uh...guys..." Stiles began. A hand clamped over his mouth. "I'm...close," he mumbled through it.

Peter's left arm slid under Stiles, holding to his back. Derek slowed, having learned how to read Stiles' body language a long while ago. The three of them established their rhythm again, grinding their bodies against one another, all of them climbing toward the same pinnacle.

A solid banging on the door sounded through the place, echoing off the rafters, the windows, and the walls. It came again, this time rattling the metal of the staircase.

Derek did not stop. Stiles was pushing against him, urging him to finish. Peter was doing the same with his own body, insisting he and Stiles finish together. The banging came again, along with the sound of the solid metal door rattling in its tract. All three of them began to groan against one another, Derek's hand now embedded in Stiles' soft hip. Peter's body went rigid seconds before Stiles' own. Pressed against one another, their thick shafts spasmed. Through the hand clamped to his mouth, Stiles groaned, a long, drawn out sound. Derek pushed him forward – the knocking coming for the fourth time – and pounded into him several more times. On his last downward stroke, the fifth, and loudest, knock came again – just as Derek was doing the same.

"Peter, go get the damned door," the Alpha growled.

"Why me?"

"Because if I have to see who it is, I'm going to tear their throat out and you'll have to clean up the mess...now go."

With some reluctance, Peter disengaged from the others. As he was standing, he saw Stiles was still very much aroused. Derek made no move to disengage so he figured he might as well just do as he was told before whoever was at the door decided to tear it from the hinges and come in. Not bothering to put anything on, Peter started toward the spiral stairs. Halfway down, he caught a whiff of who it was on the other side of the door. The salacious smile on his face widened, his step quickened. When he threw open the door, he was almost hard again.

"Jackson, did you come to join us?"

"Fuck no, Peter," the other male said, rolling his eyes as he came inside.

"Too bad, we could let Derek have a turn with you, too. I hope you're not here to see him, he's...engaged in Stiles, at the moment."

"Yeah...okay. Look, we have a few problems we're dealing with, at the moment, and as much as I hate asking this, we need your help."

"Do you, now?" Peter asked, closing the door. "What's it worth to you?"

"I haven't got time for you perverted propositions, Peter! This is serious!"

The nude male walked around the back of the couch. "You don't think I'm not?"

"I know you are, that's why I stressed perverted." Jackson stayed near the door, keeping the couch between them. "We've found this thing called the Chaos Knot and think it's connected to deaths in the area. We're wondering if you know anything about it." Jackson knew right away Peter knew what he was talking about. He felt another sort of knot growing in the pit of his stomach. "Look, can you just not be a douche, just this once, and help us out?"

"Everything comes at a cost," Peter said, a lecherous smile coming over his face.

"I'm not letting you fuck me and I'm not sucking you off. I'm not doing anything for you to get your nasty rocks off! Just tell me what I need to know. People's lives are at stake, here."

Peter adopted a shocked expression. "Sounds serious. Whatever will you do... _without_ my help?"

"Fuck...what do you want?"

"For you to ask me again...without your clothes on."

There was no need for Jackson to ask if this was a serious request, he knew it was. Looking toward the ceiling, the younger male reached for the hem of his shirt. Even without looking, he could feel Peter's smirk widen. Knowing it wouldn't stop with just his shirt, Jackson was already stepping out of his shoes when he dropped his shirt on the back of the couch. He caught Peter's eye as he reached for the fastening of his pants.

"You're a real pig, you know that?"

Peter's grin became feral. "Don't _fuck_ with me, _boy_...or you'll get nothing, even if you're stark naked and bent over grabbing your ankles. You came to me, remember?"

Once he put his jeans on the back of the couch, Jackson was naked. Peter walked forward, keeping his gaze even with Jackson's. The smile on his face faded.

"The Chaos Knot is very much like a chain holding the multiverse together. It's nothing to mess around with. If you've found an event, or two, then you need to leave them as they were. Don't try and screw around with them. You'll end up doing more harm than good."

"We just found the references, we haven't started looking for any sort of event."

"Good." Peter came around the couch. "Want to go upstairs? See what Derek and Stiles are—"

"It could be whoever is doing the killings is trying to untie the knot, at least in our universe. Scott's gone to investigate the woods outside Beacon Hills. Sheriff Stilinski got a report about some shadowy figures moving around out there. He took Liam and Alan with him and we haven't heard back from any of them. It's been three hours or more so we think he might be hurt."

Peter laid a hand on Jackson's bare shoulder, then let it trail down to his forearm. "Scott and Liam are more than likely doing to young Mr. Argent what Derek and I were doing to Mr. Stilinski, the younger one, not the older one. If he's been gone three hours, I mean..."

Jackson jerked away from Peter, rage fueling him. "Look, you perv, this is serious! People are dead, Peter! We're trying to get to the bottom of this before the next people on the list are us! You want to help, that's cool. You want to fondle me while people are dying, then you've got some serious issues! Help me help the others!"

Putting both hands on his hips, Peter tossed his head to the pile of clothes on the couch. "Put your pants on, shoes, too. Leave your shirt off and I'll give you everything I know about all this." Jackson reached for his pants. "Turn around while you do it. Even if I can't touch it, I like looking at your sweet ass."

"Pig," Jackson said, doing as he was told.

"You're talking about three different figures coming into the woods," Peter said, not taking his eyes off the other male. "They're drawn to an event or a series of events having to do with the Knot. It could be they're wanting to make certain the event does not get undone but they could also be here to undo what's already been done and make things right."

Fastening his pants, Jackson put one foot into his shoe. "If we don't know what the event was, how do we know what they're here for?"

"We can narrow down a lot of them since they have to be significant. It won't be anything as mundane as choosing ham over turkey for your lunch or whether or not to let the exceptional daddy-type figure pound your sweet ass until you beg him to stop."

"Just _try_ to stay on topic!" Jackson took his shirt and came around the couch. "Can you think of any events which would have this kind of impact?"

"I try not to think too far outside of my own selfish existence so that would be a no. You?"

"Aside from telling my parents I'm a raging homosexual, no."

For the first time, Peter's smile was not predatory. "It's good to be honest with those we care for. I know how ironic it is, this coming from me, but it's true. People you care for, who care for you, deserve honesty. Good for you for being honest. A lot of good can come out of being honest."

Just then, a loud crash sounded from upstairs, followed by two long, intense groans. Jackson's eyes found Peter's again, not sure he wanted to know what was happening. "It has to be a big deal, whatever this event is, one which changed people's lives, right?"

"It would need to be a lot of people, not just you and your parents."

Several things went through Jackson's head as he shifted his gaze toward the door. "Could you...would you get dressed and come with me? I think you might be able to help us with what's going on and I may not be the best person to tell all this to. If you could talk with Lydia or Scott, they would know how best to use what you're going to tell them."

"Go to dinner with me next Thursday."

"I'm not going to let you fuck me, Peter. Not for this, or anything else."

"Then go to dinner with me." He said, hands still on his hips. "You have a nice time, then we both win. You don't, you go home and I don't bother you again. No harassing texts, no stalking, no following you to swim practice just to watch your ass move in your Speedo. I promise."

Jackson began to put his shirt back on. "Dinner. Nothing else. You come with me right now and don't get weird on the way over and I'll have dinner with you."

"Excellent. I'll go and pull on some clothes." Peter walked to the stairs. "Oh, and one other thing. You shouldn't be so insecure about someone wanting to look at you. You're a handsome guy with a beautiful body. There's no shame in allowing someone to admire it."

***

Aiden switched the screen so it showed the overlaid map of Beacon Hills. From over his shoulder, Lydia traced the two blue lines from the center of town to the woods on the outside. He followed along with her, coming to the same conclusion. This was the second time they ran both sets of parameters and came to the very same focal point. Lydia typed in a series of commands and the map reconfigured. Seconds later, she was able to follow two different blue lines to the same source but from a different destination. Aiden looked up at her.

"Does this have to do with the Knot, you think?"

"It's looking that way," she said, typing in another set of command perimeters.

"Without Scott here to confirm, we don't now, though, do we?"

She straightened, shaking her head. "There's so much we don't know about what happened. I wasn't there, either, I was in some kind of prison. Scott and Stiles came to get me. Isaac was with her, Kira was with her, both of them fighting. Stiles was hurt. Scott went on ahead."

In his chair, Aiden turned to face her. "Isaac told Ethan Alison never had a chance. There were just too many of them and she wasn't fast enough. Scott wasn't fast enough, either. When he got through the fence, they were already evaporating. She was stabbed."

"I felt her," Lydia said, fighting the urge to scream and cry all over again. "I don't know what she felt, what she thought or what she said."

From the doorway of the library, another voice answered her. "She told me she loved me. She wanted me to pass on a message to her dad." Scott came into the library, tears falling as he moved toward the others. "It was Allison, wasn't it? This event you're talking about, it were her death that caused all of what we're experiencing now, isn't it?"

Lydia hugged herself as Aiden stood up. Following Scott, Alan and Liam let him go ahead without them crowding him. Scott wiped his eyes as he walked over to where Lydia was. The two of them shared an embrace as they experienced the pain of loss once more. For her, it was the memory of seeing what her eyes saw as Stiles but what she knew was something much darker. It was the memory of being so far away from Allison when she died and she was unable to help. For Scott, it was holding her in his arms, trying to take away her pain, then realizing she was about to die. It was seeing her father coming upon the scene as it was coming to a close.

"Where are the others?" Alan asked Aiden.

"They went to gather some things we might need. Once we found the information we did on the figures in the woods, we looked up some warding spells to try and keep them away from us."

"Anyone heard from Stiles?" They turned to look at Liam. "He was there, wasn't he? What if he's involved in all this, shouldn't we have him here, too?"

When their embrace ended, Lydia wiped her eyes, too. She turned back to Aiden. "You said you and Ethan were being hunted."

"If it weren't for Derek, we would have died. He and Mr. Argent got us out of the woods. What happened afterwards, you'd have to ask him. I don't remember anything passed us dropping onto the floor of his apartment and waking up later."

"What if it were these shadowy figures, the ones the sheriff was talking about?"

"How do you guys know about those?" Liam asked, coming around to the computer. "We were just coming here to tell you about them."

"Danny managed to hack into the police band, we thought it would give us some more info on these harassment reports, see if they might be connected."

The younger boy's clear eyes went hazy for a moment, as did his mind. "Am I the only one here who doesn't understand all this? Could someone just break it all down for me?"

"The murders in the woods can't be connected to anyone here in town," Scott began. "The harassing reports were knocks on windows, things being moved around outside, then they escalated to people being hurt. Sheriff Stilinski thought they were related so we went out to see if we could find clues the police wouldn't be able to."

"Meanwhile, we did some digging here, or rather, Danny did. We came across some coincidences we couldn't explain, ones concerning the attacks and where they happened." Lydia tapped the screen of the computer. "We happened upon the Chaos Knot information at the same time we realized the deaths and the attacks coincided with those on the twins and the place where Allison died."

Liam nodded his understanding. "So, the attacks happening now are somehow tied in with Allison's death, which you think is one of the events influenced by the Chaos Knot."

"Yes," Aiden confirmed. "What we don't know is, who are these shadowy things in the forest and if they're concerned over this event, are they wanting to undo it or make sure we don't try to."

The younger werewolf put his hands up. "Were we thinking of undoing it?"

"No," Scott answered for them. "We don't know what it would to the rest of us if we did something like that. It's best we don't go messing with events of the past. We just need to focus on events of the present. Find out what those shadow forms are and what they want. If it's not good, then we put a stop to them. If it isn't, then we'll jump that hurdle when we get to it."

Pulling out the chair, Lydia took a seat. With a sigh, she pushed back her mane of red hair. The screen showing the two blue lines was just the same as it was before Scott and the others showed up but she noticed another detail. She thought back to the time of Allison's death, about her own position and what she felt at the exact moment. There was a great deal of concern for what she thought to be Stiles and how he was dealing with everything happening to him. Having part of him separated from the rest of himself, being two different beings, she knew what he felt like.

"You okay?" Aiden touched her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she said, the smile she intended dying on her lips. "I just had the strangest feeling, though. I was thinking back to where I was, with Stiles. For a minute, it felt as though I could, I don't know, sympathize with how he felt being...himself and the Nogitsune. Two beings at one time."

"Sympathize how?" Scott asked, concerned.

"I'm me, Lydia Martin but I'm also a banshee. I'm two different beings, too, but there's more. I feel like he did when we were in the tunnel. I feel like I'm here, with you but I feel like...I'm somewhere else, too. Wherever this other place is, it's familiar but not like anywhere I've been before. There's a different feel to it." She got a clearer sense of what she was feeling, then. She looked up at Aiden, who wore a look of concern. "There's a moon of some kind, a Dark Moon. You're not there...and there's snow."

"Snow?" He asked with a chuckle. "In California?"

"That's just it," she said, shaking her head. "There, we're not in California."

 

***


End file.
